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How to build a simple console table for behind your sofa, with plugin added for easy phone charging! I am probably a lot like most people right now where I admittedly spend a certain amount of time on my phone, on the couch, after work, every day. So I’m currently limping along a 3 year old Motorola whose battery life leaves a lot to be desired. So, inevitably, I have to run upstairs, get my phone charger and plug it in wherever I’m sitting which usually means having to move the sofa or an end table out so I can reach an outlet. I’ve been thinking a console table would be the ticket to make for easier charging but also to create a little area for display as well so I got to work!

I have a VERY odd living room that has four different entrances (one 72″ outside door) and a big “inside” stained glass window on the back wall that actually looks into one of my extra bedrooms. It has not been an easy room to arrange or to decorate.

That big window means that the little console table would be in front of it if I made it the width of the sofa. I batted this idea around for nearly a year trying to decide whether or not to go the entire width of the sofa or to stop the table at the window.

I ended up going the entire width of the sofa. With that decision made I had one great thing going for me when it came to this little table, it wasn’t going to be seen in any way so I could keep it very basic construction.

The width of my sofa is 72 inches so I made the table 70 inches wide and 27 inches tall so it would be just a little shorter then the height of the back.

I used two rough cut 2x2s and one rough cut 4×4 for the legs and one rough cut 1×6 for the top. (I found them all out in the barn, thanks Grandpa for leaving them for me!) A few screws to put it all together and construction was done!

(I simply ran screws right down through the top into each leg, the screws sunk in well and are hardly noticeable.)

Using my jig saw and a drill I cut out a rectangle large enough to fit my power strip (check it out on Amazon here) and then I just had to secure it with two little machine screws.

6 inches certainly does not provide a very deep “shelf” however, it is a great place for small additions, books and, in a pinch, it works fine for setting a drink on too!

I stained the entire table with dark walnut stain and put two coats of poly acrylic on it just for protection.

I’m pleased with it all together and I’m glad I went ahead and splurged on that $20 power strip made specially for situations like this one. There was a part of me that really felt $20 in that case was more then I needed to spend but in the end I love that I can just use a USB cable.

I use the outlet or the USB on this little table almost every single table!

I think this is a terrific project. I actually have an old console table that has had many lives with different finishes over the years. It currently sits behind my sofa but I would never have thought of putting a charging strip in the table. I think it would be so convenient to be able to plug in my laptop there. Thanks for a great idea.

Perfect!! I love this idea. I can always use a small table behind the couch. It is probably hard to find something that thin in the stores and who wants to pay a lot for something that is half hidden. love it! Thanks for the idea. pinned:)

This is brilliant! We are always stringing a cord across the living room because someone’s device is low on power but the couch is the most comfortable place to be working (or playing). Plus your table looks beautiful!

Okay, Tarah, a lot of your projects are amazing, but this one is just brilliant! SO smart!! And you’re very clever to point out that, since the table is mostly hidden, it doesn’t have to be a fancy build. I’ve pinned this! Thanks for linking it to the Grace at Home party at Imparting Grace–I’m featuring you this week!

Thank you so much Richella! I am so often surprised by how some of my smaller simpler projects improve our lives so much! This little table has become the charging hub in our home now from our laptop to our bluetooth speaker!

Hi there, I just screwed them on the bottom of the board, one in the middle and one near each end, one screw each. Not real pretty but it worked for our situation because you really can’t see much of it. Thanks for coming by!

Hi Melissa, I used black screws so, with the dark stain, you can’t see them as I put them in down past the top of the table. Just one screw per leg down through the top of the table into the top of the legs 🙂

We just installed bamboo flooring in our living room and when our 12 year old Grandson would sit/flop on the couch it would slide back against the windows. Also getting to the wall outlet was a pain. When I saw this I knew it was the solution. We added 2×6 feet to both ends to fit between the wall and the couch legs. No more sliding. So glad I found this, Thank You.

Hello, I LOVE, LOVE the sofa table you made and I am going to do this for my LR sofa!! Also I am going to save a box from Costco and cover it with some pretty material (although not needed, because I am going to keep it under the table to keep some hidden treasures–like extra $ for those times I can’t get to the bank and need some $!! LOL)

I’m making this this coming weekend. I love the added storage and display space as well as the convenient charging port. The BIG big for me is it will solve a problem. The heat vent is on the floor behind my sofa, and with kids, me, everyone and anything the sofa is constantly pushed back over the vent. I end up pulling it back at least 3x or more a day. Problem solved! With great design and storage bonuses. Thank you!!!

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I’m Tarah!

There is nothing I love more then making something new and usable again that someone else would have thrown out or torn down. Find out more about me, how I renovated my Grandparents’ 100 year old house and how I am a total DIY fanatic by checking out The story behind Storyhardt Farm You can also find out more about the amazing Grandma behind this blog who moved in to this old farmhouse with my Grandpa nearly 70 years ago!

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